February Book Report
February Book Report
an eclectic bunch of books that I loved - perfect for a dreary month!
After a scattered start to my reading year, February brought me what it should bring everyone, every year — the joy of getting lost in a novel. I read more than one (!) book that stayed on my mind even when not reading; you know, the kind you can’t wait to pick up at the end of the day? When you say I’m going to go to bed early tonight only to start reading as soon as you get under the covers and then stay up reading for hours?
Surely that’s not just me.
While I didn’t quite get started on my nonfiction pile, I did get into some articles and podcasts and am craving the learning element of reading again so maybe that’s what March will bring. I suppose we’ll see, eh?
Without further preamble, let me share the books that kept me up at night.
Disclaimer: potential spoiler alert! I may leak some story elements in the below reviews – continue at your own risk. Also, I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org where your purchases support local bookstores. If you use the links below to make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
I am an enormous Friends fan but had absolutely NO IDEA how hard Matthew Perry’s life had been. The opening line literally stopped me in my tracks,
“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”
His whole story completely gutted me. Perry narrates the audio (and it was excellent, of course) which made each line even more impactful. The extent to which he battled addiction is almost beyond comprehension — especially when I “know him” as silly, easygoing Chandler Bing! To hear him share about his lurking loneliness and fear of his own mind was heartbreaking. The ending, so full of hope for the rest of his life, was especially sad to read now that he’s dead.
Despite the heaviness, I absolutely recommend it. To hear such a stark story of addiction was eye-opening for me and it was also a helpful reminder that celebrities are separate people from their public personas or on-screen characters (seems like a duh? but this book illuminated for me that I needed the reminder).
Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez
Such a delight! A welcome palate-cleanser after Matthew Perry’s memoir. Thoughtful but also punchy with good audio narration.
The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren
A very fun little short story that I can’t stop thinking about weeks after finishing — the audio was excellent. The story is told mostly through emails sent on the same day every year over ~15 years and reminded me a bit of One Day (which I love).
The Shamshine Blind by Paz Pardo
This one’s from the TOB bracket and I loved the premise. I’m a sucker for a post-apocalyptic setting and appreciated the uniqueness of this near-future time, place, and context. I thought the way emotions were described, suppressed, and used as weapons was brilliant and so insightful for our present-day lives. I think we often think and talk about AI or technology taking over but more in an intellectual capacity. To think instead of the power of our feelings and the potential to strategically use and weaponize them is wild — and also scary! The crime/conspiracy got a bit chaotic and complicated for me but conspiracies are like that, I suppose?
Monstrilio by Gerardo Samano Cordova
Another from the TOB bracket and this one is thrilling, heartbreaking, and terrifying. A story that is the embodiment of grief and longing intermingled — the kind that you don’t recognize as it takes over your entire life. Ultimately sad, yes, but it’s also hauntingly humorous and vividly compelling; I wanted to keep reading through the creepy gore. Lots of layers to this little book.
Cold People by Tom Rob Smith
Yet another from the TOB bracket and I LOVED this one. I was not initially interested — alien invasion had me feeling skeptical, but that’s just setting the scene for this wild story. The science implemented knocks down moral boundaries in a rebuilding world with rules that are different from ours while probing the reader about what is real or could be real. The narrative was entertaining, suspenseful, and a tender analysis of humanity framed by postapocalyptic circumstances that prompted big questions about what limits we would push, break, and plunder in order to survive.
Honorable Mention (read but didn’t love)
Let Them Eat Dirt by Andrea Bemis
The Auburn Conference by Tom Piazza
Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory
Dayswork by Chris Bachelder and Jennifer Habel
What are you reading? I’m always looking for more recs to add to my TBR piles so please share!
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